Welcome to the Running in Cork blog, home of the Cork running community. This is the largest website in Cork & Munster for news on road races and athletics. Included are a current race calendar, race previews, photos, results as well as some local, national and international news items.

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Monday, November 30, 2009

Ballycotton '10' Entry Forms are now out...!!You can find the entry form HERE.Print it out...........cut out the relevant piece with a scissors..........fill it out CAREFULLY..........and post it as soon as possible!!Post it this evening, Tuesday morning or Tuesday afternoon.......don't delay!!

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Entries for the 2010 Ballycotton '10' are out on Monday!

It's that time of year again with the mad rush to get into next year's Ballycotton '10' road race in March. I think it's safe to say that this will be the busiest year ever with several thousand people trying to get one of the first 2,500 places.

A quick recap...

Any AAI club member OR anyone who ran in all 4 of the Ballycotton Summer Series races OR anyone who couldn't run in the 2009 race but returned the timing chip can avail of a 2 week window to get their entries in (closing date Dec 15th).

If you do NOT qualify for one of the above conditions then you have to try and be one of the first 2,500 entries.

This is what happens next.....

1) Anyone who sent off a SAE for an entry form should be getting them back in the post on Monday. If you are one of these, you should fill out the form and post it on Monday afternoon before your local post is collected. If you do this, you should almost certainly get in.

2) If you did not send off for an entry form then you can pick one up in the following retail outlets on Monday evening...

John Buckley Sports (Cork), Ger Wyley Sports (Dungarvan) and local shops in Ballycotton and Shanagarry that same afternoon.

Or you can download it off the Ballycotton Running Promotions website on Monday evening and print it out.

If you do it this way then you'll need to post the entry as soon as possible i.e. Tuesday morning / afternoon.

Make sure you post it early enough so that it is collected on Tuesday evening. If you do this then you will PROBABLY get in ok but maybe not! Every year, the closing date for entries gets earlier and earlier. Last year, the 2500 limit was reached on Thursday evening and it will probably be earlier this year.

Whatever you do, don't delay in sending off the form. If you take the approach of 'Ahh sure.....I'll post it next weekend'..........that's fine except the entries will be well closed at that stage!!

Get the form as soon as you can and post it as soon as you can.

Please note that you can only enter by post. There is no online entry and you cannot drop your entry in to someones house. By having postal entries only, everyone has the same chance of getting in.

Note also that the entry fee is €15.

The form.........when you get it, cut off the section for entries only. DO NOT RETURN THE WHOLE FORM! I think the organisers have a pretty good idea of what the entry conditions are at this stage and they don't need you sending them the whole form to remind them ;o)

Read the advice given by Ballycotton Running Promotions below on what to do with the entry form. Read it CAREFULLY.....it would be a shame to go to all that trouble in sending off a form early only to be disqualified because you filled out the form incorrectly.

BEFORE YOU FILL OUT THE FORM…...Instructions from Ballycotton Running PromotionsRead all of it carefully – all the information you need is there.Each person should fill out their own individual form – when people fill a form for someone else, it invariably leads to mistakes in spelling, date of birth, etc which causes problems to the information already on the data base.

Fill out the form in sequence (surname, first name, age on day of race, date of birth, male/female, etc.) Please write in BLOCK CAPITALS

Remember the club is AAI club – Athletics Association of Ireland (not BHAA, soccer club, GAA club).Telephone/email contact is convenient for checking mistakes!

If you ran in ALL FOUR of this year’s Ballycotton Summer Series 5-mile races, tick the box.

If you were unable to run in the 2009 Ballycotton ‘10’ AND returned the ChampionChip, tick the box.

Sign your name on the bottom… by doing this you also agree NOT to transfer your number to another runner in the event of being unable to run.

Please detach (tear, or cut off if form is downloaded) the section of the form with your details and only send this along with the entry fee of €15 to: Ballycotton Running Promotions, Ballycotton, Co. Cork.Entry fee is €15. Cheques or postal orders should be made payable to Ballycotton Running Promotions. Don’t staple cheque to form. Cash is sent at your own risk.Do not send a stamped addressed envelope - you can also send more than one form in the same envelope if required.

Using registered post won’t make any difference – it either gets there in time or not.

The first 2,500 postal entries opened are automatically accepted. After that, any AAI club member or any runner who ran in all four of the 2009 Ballycotton Summer Series or those who were unable to run last year’s race AND returned the ChampionChip will be accepted up and including Tuesday December 15th. Anyone living overseas will be accepted up to and including Friday January 8th.

As soon as the first 2,500 entries have been received, a notice will be posted on this website and on local radio. Unless you qualify under the above headings, please do not continue to send in entries. It only causes extra work and expense to send them back.

Remember, not everyone will get in. If rejected, don’t take it too bad – there is now no shortage of races at a variety of distances in Cork and throughout and country! ...........but there's only one Ballycotton '10' ! ;o)

Friday, November 27, 2009

Races this weekend...Sat 28th-Sun 29th Dec...While there are no races in Cork, there are 3 events elsewhere in Munster if you are willing to travel. On Saturday, there is a 10k run in Killorglin, Co.Kerry. On Sunday, there is the Munster Masters Cross Country championships and in Kerry, there is a charity 5km run in Killarney. More details in the Running in Munster website.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

This time of year is usually a quiet time of year for races. With that in mind, perhaps it's time to reflect on what is coming up over the next few weeks.

Short races........there are a few short races (3k, 5k, 4m) coming up over the next few weeks. Once we get to the Christmas period, things start to get busy again with several races on offer (5k, 4m, 5m). Once the new year starts, the number of short races drop off again but that's the time of year when the longer races start.

Mallow 10.......The Mallow 10 mile road race is coming up on the 10th of January. This is the 1st race of 4 in the Munster Ten-Mile Spring Classics Series. Back in January, they had 576 finishers and they will probably get somewhere in the region of 600-800 runners for the next event.

If you are new to the local race scene and are more used to the shorter races then you have 6 weeks to up your milage in preperation for this event. Your priority should be just to get around the 10 mile course rather than setting some spectacular time. If you can aim to run 7-8 miles comfortably by the end of the year then you should have no problems doing 10 miles on the day.

The organisers of the race (Mallow AC) are anxious to get as many pre-entries in as early as possible so as to take off some of the pressure on race day. You can find more information about the Mallow 10 here. Note that all you have to do for now is to enter your details on an online form...you can pay on the day of the race.

Ballycotton 10.......and besides the actual races, the next really 'big race' to the one to get into next year's Ballycotton 10!! The forms are coming out next week and I'll look at this here at the end of the week.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Cork City Sports Athletics award for the month of October 2009...

This piece of news came to light at the end of last week. John Walshe of Ballycotton Running Promotions was the recipient of the Cork City Sports Athletics award for the month of October. Anyone that takes part in the local races on a regular basis will know that John Walshe is involved in organising many of them as well as of course organising the hugely popular 'Ballycotton 10' every March.

Here is the clip from the AAI website...

It is surely safe to say that John ‘Mr. Ballycotton’ Walshe is as worthy a winner as any of the great athletes who have been honoured at this event in the past.

Speaking at the lunch reception in Jurys, Evening Echo Sports Editor John McHale told the gathering that in all his years as Editor he had not come across a more humble and obliging person as John Walshe.

John Walshe has been organising road races in and around his beloved Ballycotton for decades. As a race organiser he is regarded by everyone as an athletes man and no step is left unturned by him in his efforts to ensure that everything possible is done to make their racing experience the best ever.

John is probably best known throughout the length and breadth of Ireland as the organiser of the famous Ballycotton 10, a race that was there long before the running boom began, and a race that has grown in stature year after year, so much so that there are now entry limits, and that limit is reached within hours of the entry forms becoming available.

Evening Echo Editor John McHale was glowing in his address about John Walshe, as was Cork City Sports Chairman Dick Hodgins.

In reply John Walshe said he was honoured and humbled to be the recipient of this prestigious award, following in the footsteps of Derval O’Rourke in September and Olive Loughnane in August. He thanked everyone for the award as well as his family and friends who had supported him so well over the past 30 years.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Cork BHAA Iniscarra Race cancelled...!!!

Please note that the Cork BHAA 4 mile road race in Inniscarra has been cancelled. There is a lot of local flooding and there are problems getting access to the race venue. The Cork BHAA hope to hold the race at a later date.

With all of the news reports about the recent flooding near Iniscarra, some people have been asking whether this will impact on the race on Sunday or even if the race has been cancelled.

The race is in a spot called Ballyanly which is about 3 kms to the north-west of Inniscarra on high ground. It is not near any major rivers although I suppose the possibility of some pools of standing water along the race route can't be ruled out.

If the flooding has any real impact then it will probably be on access routes to the race. In the preview for the race, the routes given used the river crossing by the Anglers Rest pub which may well be closed.

If you aren't sure on the day, you might be better going via Blarney.

From Cork, take the main Limerick road (N20) and turn off for Blarney onto the R617. Keep going straight, through Blarney and then onto Tower and through it. Eventually, you come to a T-junction with the R579 in Cloghroe. Turn right here and you'll see the turn-off left at Blairs pub about 2 kms later.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Other races this weekend in Munster...As well as the Cork BHAA race in Inniscarra on Sunday, there is also the 3rd race of the 'Feet First' 5 km series in Killarney. The first 2 races attracted a number of Cork runners and the 3rd race starts at 11:00am.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

This is the 2nd last Cork BHAA race of the year and the last one in which there are team and category prizes.

Note that the race starts at 11:30am. Weather permitting, it should attract a big crowd so get there early.

How to get there...Let's say you are coming out from Cork on the Straight Road /Carrigrohane Straight. Take the right at the end of the road and cross the bridge over the Lee and go past the Angler's Rest pub (Shown as A above). By the way, if you are coming out via the Ballincollig Bypass, follow the signs for Kanturk / Blarney and you'll arrive at the same spot. After the Angler's Rest, you have a choice of 2 routes...A) - At the junction just after the Angler's Rest, take the Right past the Garage. Stay on this road (R579) for several kms, go past the junction and Church in Cloghroe and look for the turn off left at Blair's Pub about 2 kms later. The BHAA usually have stewards on the road at this last turnoff.B) - At the junction just after the Angler's Rest, stay left on the main road and you will bypass Ballincollig which is to your South. Carry on past the junction with the turn off for Ballincolling and the Inniscarra Bar on the corner (Shown as B on the map above). Take the right at the next major junction (If you go as far as the Inniscarra dam, you've gone too far). There should be a sign at the junction for Cloghroe. At the next T-junction, turn left and then look out for the turn off left at Blairs Pub.Look for race directions on the day. Proceed up this road and park in the GAA grounds in Ballyanly.

Course Description...This is a hilly 4 mile course. You can forget about fast times, there are too many hills for that. However, despite the hills, the course is run on nice quiet country roads and it's a nice spot for a race. The race itself starts down the road from the GAA grounds. Initially, you run downhill but soon, you turn off left and then there is a nasty drag uphill. Soon it eases off and then you are running on nice quiet roads. Around the 2 mile mark, you come to the small village of Berrings. You turn left here at the church and you have another uphill section. It's not so severe but enough to put you into oxygen debt if you push too hard. After that, you're on flat or downhill sections. Just in case you thought you were getting off lightly, the 3rd hill of note comes at the finish. In the last few hundred metres, you drop downhill and then you have to run about 200m up to the finish line which is just outside the GAA grounds.

Overall...As I said, forget about fast times but don't let the hills put you off. It's a nice area for a race and the country roads are quiet at that time on a Sunday morning. Refreshments are available in the GAA clubhouse after the race. After all those hills, you'll deserve it ;o)

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Ballycotton 10 entry reminder........Just a reminder that the entry forms will be out in just under 2 weeks time on Monday week. If you want to go for the 'Stamped Addressed Envelope' option then you should be sending off for it this week.

Details of the entry conditions for the 2010 Ballycotton 10 mile road race can be found in this earlier post.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Running Marathons......How much is too much???

There was an article in the Irish Times during the week about running Marathons by Professor William Reville of UCC. In it, he argues that people should avoid running Marathons. See the article below...

RUNNING MARATHONS is quite popular – more than 12,500 runners took part in the Dublin City Marathon on October 26th. It is generally thought that popular marathon-running is a healthy development, but I cannot agree. I believe that the growing popularity of the marathon is an unfortunate development for recreational running.

The word “marathon” comes from the Greek legend of Pheidippides, who is said to have run 25 miles in 490 BC from the town of Marathon to Athens to announce the defeat of the Persians in the Battle of Marathon. Pheidippides then collapsed and died, so per- haps he was delivering another message also.The marathon was not an event in the ancient Greek games – it is a modern invention. The first modern Olympic Games was held in Athens in 1896 and the first marathon race was run at that event.

The marathon is run over an official distance of 42.195km (26 miles, 385 yards). More than 800 marathons are held worldwide annually and tens of thousands can participate in the larger events. More than 400,000 ran marathons in the US in 2008. The marathon is steadily becoming more popular. The Dublin City Marathon was founded in 1980 when 2,100 runners took part, and 12,799 runners entered for the 2009 Dublin event.The marathon is a severe physical test and if you plan on participating you must train carefully for three to four months beforehand, following a daily running schedule. For example, if you plan to run the marathon in around four hours, your weekly training schedule will build up until you are routinely running 40-50 miles per week. Preparation schedules and advice are widely available, on dublinmarathon.ie, for example.When you train hard your body suffers damage but it repairs itself, becoming stronger and more resistant to damage during further exertion. In this way you gradually build up your resistance until eventually the Big Day arrives. You could do significant harm to yourself if you undertook a marathon without adequate preparation.

Many studies have demonstrated the physiological, biochemical and physical effects of running a marathon. Changes in the immune system and in kidney function have been measured and the muscles, including the heart, are subjected to severe stress. A study published in the American Journal of Cardiology (Vol 88, 2001) found elevated levels of thickening factors in the blood of marathon runners 24 hours after the race. Another study publicised in the journal Circulation ( Vol 114, 2006) tested the hearts (using ultrasound) and bloods of 60 non-elite Boston marathon finishers. The results showed that, after the race, hearts in some runners had difficulty in re-filling chambers and abnormalities were noted in the way blood was pumped from the heart to the lungs. The runners also had elevated blood markers indicating heart damage.

Heart damage such as that reported in the Circulation article is not permanent and within a month after the race all runners showed relatively normal cardiac function again. However, the fact remains that during the marathon itself, and for several hours afterwards, the heart and blood enter a danger zone that increases the risk of a cardiac event, particularly in middle-aged runners with silent coronary-artery disease. Also, regular high-mileage running exerts a heavy toll on leg joints.

Aerobic exercise is very good for physical and mental health. But moderate exercise is sufficient to give you all the health benefits available from running. Increasing the levels of running beyond moderate levels does not produce any additional health benefit. To get the maximum health benefit from running, you do not need to run more than three or four four-mile sessions per week, each session run in 45-50 minutes.

The vast majority of participants in marathons are recreational runners, people who take up running as a pleasurable healthy exercise. In my opinion, the marathon is far too severe for recreational runners. Also, in my experience, a number of people who start running in order to run a marathon drop out of running once the marathon goal is achieved, thereby foregoing the ongoing health benefits that running confers.

I would encourage people to take up running, but unless you plan to become an elite athlete, build up a habit of moderate running that you can easily incorporate into a sensible lifestyle, a healthy habit that you can maintain into your old age........Irish Times

Do you agree? Obviously, there is a point where you can do too much of anything but how much is too much? Is running Marathons any worse than being inactive and overweight? Leave a comment by clicking on the Comment link below.

By the way.....in case you are wondering, the picture up top is the start of the New York City Marathon!

Friday, November 13, 2009

Events this weekend....Sat 14th - Sun 15th NovThe only event in Cork this weekend is the County Intermediate & Masters Cross Country in Bandon at 1pm. This is open to club runners only. Anyone interested should contact their club secretary.

Outside of Cork, there are a number of events raning from 3 miles to 13.1 miles. See the Running in Munster website.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Results of the 2nd East Cork AC 'Winter Series' 3km road race...Tues 10th Nov 2009A record crowd turned out for the 2nd race of 7 in the East Cork 3km series last night. Normally, a crowd of about 120 turn out but the figure of 185 last night is a big jump. For such a small circular course, possibly a 'bit' too many ;o)

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

2nd race of the East Cork 3k winter series....

Just a reminder that the 2nd race of 7 takes place this evening in Midleton East Cork at 7:30pm. A total of 132 runners turned out for the 1st race and a similiar number will probably turn out for the 2nd one. Some details are shown below. For additional info, see the preview of the 1st race.

East Cork Athletics Club PRESENT THE 12th YEAR OF THEEAST CORK AC ‘3K’ WINTER SERIES

Total of 7 runs over 3km (just short of 2 miles) in Midleton betweenOctober and February – Run ANY FIVE and receive a classy printed long-sleeve T-shirt! The Series takes in three laps of a 1km circuit around Bailick and Ballinacurra. Entries, along with the start and finish, are at the bottom of the Dark Road.

Sunday, November 08, 2009

Results of the Lisgoold 5 km road race...Sun 8th Nov 2009

This new 5 km road race in Lisgoold in East Cork took place in ideal conditions with blue skies and some nice winter sunshine. By all accounts, the start was a 'bit' tough but they still got around 125 runners which for a first outing was excellent.

Race report by Donal O'Donoghue...

"The Lisgoold 5k went ahead in excellent conditions. 9-11C, Sunny, slight cool breeze. With the clear skies, you could see for miles over the East Cork countryside.Did somebody mention a hill at the start? It seemed more like a mountain! The start line was on an uphill section, before the Church, on the road signposted Leamlara.The first mile was very tough uphill. Some people even falling back to walking pace for a while, and still I couldn't catch up with them.

The road was not closed to traffic, but was exceptionally quiet. There were plenty of traffic marshalls in yellow jackets at junctions and bad bends with mile markers at each mile. The finish was a decent downhill stretch, with many flying finishes. Big Seiko clock there too. 125 ran altogether. Everybody received a bottle of Gatorade at the end, and there was all-you-could-eat in terms of sandwichs, biscuits, cream cakes, swiss-roll, teas, coffees, at the Lisgoold Community Centre.

Overall a good race, but perhaps just a little bit steep at EUR 10 for 5k"......Donal O'Donoghue

Thursday, November 05, 2009

Other races this weekend...7th & 8th Nov 2009Just a reminder that as well as the 5 km race in Lisgoold on Sunday morning, there is also a 5 km road race in Killarney on Saturday, the 7th of November. This will be the 2nd race in a series of 4 races. The first race on the 11th of October attracted quite a few runners from Cork. More details on the Running in Munster website.

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

Preview of the Lisgoold 5 km road race...Sun 8th Nov (11am)

This event is organised by Lisgoold GAA club and is a brand new race! From time to time, I come accross 'runs' organised by GAA or other sports clubs and they are are nothing more than fun runs. This however is a proper race with plenty of prizes and run on an accurate course measured to the nearest micron by John Walshe of Ballycotton Running Promotions. The entry fee for the race is €10.

Lisgoold........Where is it???........I had to admit I had to get out a map to find it! It's one of those places where most people have heard of it but few people have seen ;o)

Basically, it's a few miles north of Midleton. If you are coming from Cork City, take the N25 East and take the turn-off for Midleton. Almost immediately, you'll come accross the new road junction. Take a left here and bypass the town. You'll come out on another wide road junction. Take the left here and you are now on the R626 heading North for Lisgoold, Ballincurrig and Rathcormack. Look for the Community Centre when you get there.

Course.......This is a rough outline of the course. A description of the course is given below...

"Starts in the village. Mile markers. Course starts on an uphill section, with a gradual pull for about 600 metres and then a steep incline up past the graveyard to Top Cross which lasts about 400m. Turning right at the cross roads the course is relatively level until the 1 mile mark where you can catch your breath and enjoy the scenery before the course ascends to Corbally and there is a small incline back onto the main road at Smarts Bar before turning right for Lisgoold Village. Mile 2 is just beyond the thatch houses on the right. Mile 2 to three is a gradual down hill until you reach the bridge which has an incline up to the GAA pitch. From here to the village is a gradual downhill, the 3 mile mark just at the housing estate and the finish line just before the entrance of the community centre."

Overall......with an entry fee of €10, this race would be in the upper range compared to other similiar road races locally. With a tough uphill start, it's unlikely to be a course for fast times. However, the route would seem to be on nice quiet country roads and will make a nice change from running in built up areas. They are taking entries from 10am and the race starts at 11am. A flyer for the race can be seen HERE.

Monday, November 02, 2009

Results of the Cork BHAA 'HSE' 4 Mile Road Race...Sun 1st Nov 2009

A record crowd of 305 or so turned out for this 4 mile road race near the Marina in Cork City. No doubt if it hadn't clashed with the Cork AAI Senior County Championships, the numbers would have been higher. Just to see how much the numbers have grown of late, here are the number of finishers for the last few years...

2008 = 284 2007 = 272 2006 = 247 2005 = 182 2004 = 179

As for the race itself, the course was a little tricky with large pools of water present due to the heavy rain overnight and the abundance of leaves blocking the drains.

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'If you want to win something, run 100 metres. If you want to experience something, run a marathon' - Emil Zatopek, Winner of the 5k, 10k and Marathon, Helsinki Olympics, 1952 and broke the existing Olympic record in each event.